THE SENTIMENT OF ANTIQUITY. 197 



pose and sobriety, and, like rocks, seem to be a part of the 

 ground they stand upon. A magnificent building, which 

 was at first too highly ornamented with the gilding of 

 vanity to be justly valued for its intrinsic merits, in the 

 course of time becomes sobered into an expression of 

 simple grandeur. Many such edifices exist in Europe, 

 and yield to its artificial landscapes a venerable appear- 

 ance which is entirely wanting in those of America. 



Individuals of a poetic and thoughtful turn of mind are 

 j generally more attached to the old than to the new, and 

 the improvements they are willing to make are such as 

 are not destructive of the historic remnants of a past 

 century. People of this character among our inhabitants 

 are lovers of Nature, who presents to their sight many 

 of the semblances of antiquity. A wood which we have 

 always frequented may be the only object in our village 

 that wears an ancient look, except the rocks and hills. I 

 am aware that very little of this sentiment pervades the 

 active classes of American society, who are so eager to 

 increase their wealth by new enterprises, that every 

 change is delightful to them if it precedes a commercial 

 adventure. I have seen men in raptures over the de- 

 molition of some of the most charming scenes of their 

 boyhood, on beholding them laid out into house-lots, and 

 advertised for sale. They are so deeply interested in 

 advancing the price of "real estate," that they do not 

 think of the regret with which, at some future day, they 

 may witness the desolation that has followed. These 

 sacrifices are constantly becoming necessary to the wants 

 of an increasing population ; but if our people were more 

 deeply imbued with this sentiment of antiquity, many 

 interesting objects would be preserved which are need- 

 lessly destroyed. 



The women of America have generally more culture 

 than the men, except among the literary classes, and feel 



